Refrigerated display apparatus



July 17, 1923.

G. HILGER REFRIGERATED DISPLAY APPARATUS 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July I7;1923. A

1,462,285 G. HILGER REFRIGERATED DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTEIR EEEIREE HILEEF? ATTYS- dow of a market.

Patente July 17, 1923.

STATES GEORGE HILGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATED DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Application filed August 25, 1922.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HILGER, a.

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulRefrigerated Display Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to an apparatus adapted for use in displaying foodproducts which, in order to be preserved, must be maintained in anatmosphere of reduced temperature. I

The principal object of the invention is to produce an apparatus of thisgeneral character by means of which the food products may be displayedto utmost advantage and at a minimum cost for refrigeration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of anornamental character; compact in construction and arrange-' ment, andcapable of manufacture at a low cost.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as applied to anapparatus for displaying meats in the show win- It will be understood,however, that the invention is capable of Wide application, and while Iherein illustrate and describe the invention with con siderableparticularity, I contemplate that various changes may be made by thoseskilled in the art in the form, construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front ele vational view of a store frontequipped with a display apparatus constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view on an enlargedscale through one of the display cases, the view 'being takenapproximately in the plane of line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view taken in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is afragmentary view illustrating a detail of construction. Figs. 5 and 6are detail views illustrating the man ner of supporting plates uponwhich may be placed the food products to be preserved.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the apparatus may comprise one or more cases7 each providing a main chamber within which the food products may besuitably supported, and an upper cooling chamber equipped with means formaintaining in the main chamber at all times a reduced or preservingSerial No. 584,235.

temperature. These cases may be positioned in any desired location in astore or display room. Herein I have shown two cases positioned in theshow window of a meat market so as to be visible from the front of themarket, and each of-these cases is provided with a supporting means 8for the food products. Preferably said means is arranged to be rotatedby a motor 9 in order more advantageously to display such prod ucts. i

The case 7 may be of any preferred form. As herein shown for purposes ofillustratlon, it is rectangular in shape and of substantial height. Inorder that the products enclosed in the main chamber may be visible tothe observer, the front and side walls enclosing this chamber are madeof glass, and the rear wall is provided with a door 10 through whichaccess may be had to the interior of the case. In the cooling chamber inthe upper portion of the case is enclosed the major portion of therefrigerating means. Hence the walls enclosing this chamber arepreferably made of tile 11 or other suitable opaque material. The meansfor rotating the supports for the food products is arranged in thebottom portion or the case, and for this reason such portion ispreferably set down in the show window slightly below the floorwhich isindicated by the broken line 12 in Fig. 2. This lower portion of thecase may therefore be made of wood or other suitable material.

I have provided a combined means for rotatably supporting the foodproducts and for distributing the cooled air. descending from thecooling means throughout the food products. Thus I provide a centralmember 13 constituting a supporting column for a plurality of shelves orsupports 29. At its lower end the column member 13 is roand supported atthe several corners of the case by arms 20.

Above the partition-19 is supported one or more coils of piping 22.Herein I have shown three coils supported as by means of legs 23 risingfrom .the partition. These coils are connected in series and communicatewith a source of ammonia gas or other refrigerant, in a manner to be nowdescribed.

The column member 13 is tubular in form so as to provide a centralair-shaft 24 which communicates at its upper end with the coolingchamber through the partition 19, and throughout its length said memberis provided with a plurality of apertures 25 through which communicationis established between the air-shaft and the main chamber of the case.Through this air-shaft extend a pair of pipes 26 and 27 connectedrespectively with the inner and outer coils and constituting inlet andoutlet pipes leading to and from a source of refrigerant supply. Thepartition 19 is made of dimensions slightly smaller than the crosssectional area of the case so as to provide passageways 28 between theportions 19 and the walls ofthe case; and similarly the upper edges ofthe portions 19 are spaced a short distance below the top wall of thecase. Thus provision is made for the passage of air upwardly from themain chamber into the cooling chamber, and it will be apparent that as.the air comes in contact with the coils 22,

and becomes cooled, it descends into the shaft 24, and passes outthrough the apertures 25 into the main chamber in which is supported thefood products by means to be now described.

Referring to Figs. 2, 5 and 6 I provide preferably a number of sets oftra s or supports 29 (Fig. 5) each substantia ly in the shape of aquadrant, there being four trays to each set arranged circumferentiallyabout the column member 13. The several sets may be spaced any preferredor desired distance apart vertically in the case, and

they are each detachably supported upon the column member. Herein I haveprovided at the inner end of each member for this purpose, an angulartongue 30 adapted to be inserted through an aperture 31 provided in thecolumn member, and a pair of downwardly projecting tongues 32 formingknees bearing against the outer side of the column member below theaperture 31. When the apparatus is to be employed for displaying meats,the trays may be provided upon their under sides with one or more hooks33.

Any suitable means may be employed to rotate the column member 13 andhence the supporting trays 29. Herein I have shown a worm gear 34 fastupon the lower end of the column member and meshing with a worm 35 or 35fast upon a drive shaft 36 of the electric motor 39. When two or more.

cases 7 are employed the shaft 36 may be made common to both, and if itis desired to rotate the supports in opposite directions,

the worms 35 and 35 are oppositely inclined as shown in Fig. 4:.

In the use of the apparatus, the food products to be displayed areplaced upon or suspended from the supports 29, entrance bein had intothe case through the door 10. Vhen two cases are employed it ispreferable that the supports rotate in opposite directions. This enablesan easy comparison between the products of the adjacent cases. By reasonof the arrangement of the food products with respect to the centralair-shaft from which the cooled air emerges, it will be apparent thatmaximum efficiency in the refrigeration is obtained. As the cooler airapproaches the sides of the case it becomes warm and rises to the top,and

since it must pass into the receptacle 19 through the coils 22, it isagain cooled and caused to descend into the air-shaft and out throughthe apertures25. Thus a constant circulation of cold air is maintainedin the case.

It will also be evident that by reason. of the fact that the productsare compactly arranged within a relatively small space and furtherbecause the cooling medium is caused to ass through and around theproducts whlle at its lowest temperature, a high degree of efficiency isobtained.

I claim as my invention:

1. A. display apparatus comprising a casing, a central tubular columnmounted for rotation on a vertical axis in said casing, means carried bysaid column for rotation therewith adapted to support products to bepreserved, said column having a plurality of openings therein adjacentsaid supporting means, and means providing a refrigerating chamber inthe upper portion of the casing having a central opening in its bottomwall through which the upper open end of said column projects and havinga coil therein with supply and return pipes depending through saidcolumn, said refrigerating chamber being arranged to communicate withthe lower portion of the case at the sides thereof.

2. A display case having a stationary bearing plate at its lower end, atubular column having a second bearin plate fixed thereto and rotatablysupporte on the first plate, said column having its walls apertured andextending upwardly into the case centrally thereof, a pair of pipesextending through the column to constitute an inlet and an outlet for' afluid refrigerant supplied to the case, means carried by the column forsupporting products to be cooled, and means for rotating the column.

3. A display case having a tubular column rising centrally thereof androtatably supported at its lower end, means providing a bearing for theupper end of the column, means for supporting products to be cooled inthe case. about the column, said column having its walls aperturedbetween each of extending through the column, and means for rotating thecolumn.

4. A display case having a tubular column rotatablymounted in its lowerend and rising to a point near the upper portion of the case, a membersupported by the case and providing a bearing for the upper end of thecolumn, a coil supported by said member and having inlet and outletpipes extending through said column and communicating with a source ofrefrigerant supply, said column being arranged to communicate with theinterior of the case, and said member being adapted to permit thepassage of air upwardly between it and the side walls of the case intocontact with said coil.

5. A display case having a coil supported in its upper portion, a memberproviding a partition below the coil, means depending from saidpartition establishing communication between the upper portion of thecase and the lower portion thereof, saidpartition having upwardlyextending side portions surrounding the coil and spaced from the Wallsof the case so as to permit the passage of warm air into the upperportion of the case for contact with said coil, and means for supplyinga refrigerating agent to said coil.

6. In a display case, means providing a transverse partition in theupper portion of the case adapted to permit of the upward passage of airbetween the partition and the side walls of the case only, a coil abovesaid partition having centrally arranged supply and return pipes, andmeans arranged substantially centrally of the case adapted to enclosesaid pipes and to conduct cool air downwardly from a central pointadjacent the coil-only and discharge it into the chamber below thepartition, said means comprising a tubular member having aperturestherein, means for rotating said member, and means providing supportsfor food products about said member for rotation therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

GEORGE HILGER.

